Vegans Now Have an Alternative for Smoked Salmon

Vegans, rejoice! Meet Odontella, the startup based in Bordeaux, France, who just made vegan smoked salmon a thing.

But what’s the secret to this successful innovation? Believe it or not, it’s microalgae.

According to FranceInfo, the microalgae is cultivated near l’Île d’Oléron (Charente-Maritime), located just off the coast of western France.

It takes 15 days produce 1 kilo of microalgae, but only 3 hours to produce a final product. This is amazing production time, considering actual salmon needs five years of aging before it can end up on anyone’s plate. 

According to biologist Pierre Calleja: “We find it [the microalgae] in different forms in the food chain in the oceans and it arrives on our plates in the form of fish. It has all the molecules that are beneficial to humans and we can use it like salmon, shellfish, and St Jacques scallops.”

The algae’s biological name is Odontella aurita, hence the name Odontella. It is a great source of omega-3 and protein, and is rich in iodine and amino acids.

After working hard for two years, with 220 prototypes, Odontella has finally entered the industrial phase. One look at the vegan version and nobody could tell it was made with vegan ingredients.

Japanese companies are already interested in the product, and it will soon be available to consumers, priced between 60 and 65 euros a kilo.

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